


Important

by just_a_girl_from_vulcan



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Artist Grantaire, Established Relationship, Good Friend Combeferre, Happy Ending, Hurt Grantaire, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern Era, Oblivious Enjolras, POV Multiple, protective Eponine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_girl_from_vulcan/pseuds/just_a_girl_from_vulcan
Summary: Enjolras loses sight of what’s truly important, and has to be reminded[Or, Enjolras is a workaholic and nearly misses Grantaire’s art exhibition]
Relationships: Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 79





	1. A Plea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea just popped into my head, but it seemed vaguely familiar. I know "cold hands, warm art" by slightlytookish is a bit similar, but to my knowledge this is 100% my idea. I know there's a lot of tropes used in this that are common throughout the fandom. If that's not the case, let me know ASAP!!

Grantaire pushed open the door to Enjolras’ office, giddy. Tonight was one of the rare nights of the week that Enjolras wasn’t busy with work or a Les Amis de l'ABC meeting. It was also the night of his exhibition. He had spent the entire month planning for it; He’d gotten his pieces finalized, the space rented, and his suit tailored. With a smile, he slid himself onto the cluttered desk and leaned over Enjolras’ laptop to peer at his boyfriend.

“Hey there, Mr. Workaholic. Time to stop for the night, I have a surprise for you,” Grantaire pressed in close to Enjolras as he said this.

Enjolras merely scowled back, “Not now Grantaire. I’m busy.” His typing continued.

With a pout, Grantaire whined back, “But this is your night off! You can work later, it’ll still be there in the morning. I already set out your suit- all you have to do is slip it on, and then we can head off.” 

“No, Grantaire! This is far too important, I have to finish tonight. Now leave me alone.” Enjolras moved his laptop away from Grantaire and proceeded to ignore him for the next few moments as he continued working. 

Grantaire had not expected this. He had thought after hardly seeing Enjolras because of their busy schedules that his boyfriend would jump at the opportunity for some time to spend together. Sure, he knew there would be pushback, but not like this. He just had to try harder to get his attention, surely.

Grantaire shoved Enjolras’ hands into his lap, and sharply shut the laptop.

“Hey! I was working-”

“Enjolras. Please. This is the one night in who knows how many that you have free. Are you really going to spend it working?”

Enjolras stared at Grantaire, eyebrows drawn downwards and the corners of his mouth pulled sharply into a frown. They held eye contact for a long moment. Grantaire could see Enjolras’ eyes softening, almost ready to give in and come with him to-

Enjolras’ sharp sigh broke Grantaire’s train of thought. Reaching over, Enjolras loosely grasped Grantaire’s hands in his. “Listen, Grantaire… I would love to go out with you tonight, but this is too important to ignore. New evidence has come up in the case, and if I don’t get this done tonight, it’ll take even longer to work through this next week. Once this case is finished, I promise we will go out and do something.”

Grantaire frowned, pulling his hands away from Enjolras. His voice turned bitter as he said, “Enjolras, that’s what you always say. And yet, as soon as you finish ‘the biggest case of your career’, you’ve taken on the next biggest one, and the next, and the next.” With a soft breath, Grantaire shifted closer, leaning into Enjolras’ space. “You are not the only one working on these cases, why don’t you let someone else do this, just for tonight. Please, Enjolras. Just for tonight.” Grantaire’s tone was quiet and pleading, brimming with hope. 

“Grantaire, you don’t understand!” Enjolras’ voice was sharp and loud, jarring compared to the quiet tone that had filled the space previously. He shifted his chair back to send a hostile glare at Grantaire. “I am the lead on this case. I am in charge of this work, and it needs to be done by me! If I let myself indulge in every little whim that passes me by, I will never advance or make anything of my career living my life that way.”

At this, Grantaire angrily shoved off of the desk. His voice was low and angry as he ground out an injured, “Glad I’m just a little whim to you Enjolras.” Grantaire began striding towards the door, jaw clenched tight.

“Grantaire! You know what I meant!” Enjolras cried in response.

Grantaire stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Enjolras, a tired expression upon his face. His shoulders slumped as he spoke, “Yes, Enjolras. I know your work is extremely important.” He paused, eyes shifting aimlessly around the space Enjolras inhabited. “I’m going out. Call me if you need me.” Grantaire turned away before Enjolras could see the tears building up in his eyes and went to get dressed. He had someplace to be after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	2. A Hollow Victory

Combeferre had just finished getting a drink of water for himself when he spotted Grantaire striding in. He was twenty minutes late, but that was not unusual for him. What was unusual was the dejected look upon his face, and the clear absence of Enjolras by his side. Combeferre frowned and began making his way over to Grantaire. As soon as he caught Grantaire’s eye, a smile plastered itself across Grantaire’s face, and he worked his way through the throngs of people to meet Combeferre in the middle.

“Combeferre! You’re here! Where’s everyone else?” Grantaire’s voice was cheery, but it was clear to Combeferre that all was not well. He pressed his lips together and decided to leave it for the time being as he began leading Grantaire over the rest of the group, making idle small talk along the way.

Upon their friends seeing Grantaire, they let out a cheer, drawing more than a few looks from other patrons of the exhibition. Grantaire simply gave a loose smile and shushed them, face flushing from embarrassment.

“You guys, be quiet! This is supposed to be a formal event!” Grantaire’s words were stern, but happiness clearly radiated from his tone and face. The group laughed and returned to their mingling, continuing on with various conversations.

Eponine stepped closer, straightening Grantaire’s tie. “Aww, we are excited about this. Your first big exhibition! Of course we have to cheer for you.” Grantaire simply ducked his head at the praise

Courfeyrac slid over to Combeferre’s side and slung an arm around his waist before turning his attention to Grantaire. “So- you excited? Nervous? What are the emotions swirling beneath those curls of yours?”

Grantaire’s lips flattened for a brief moment before his smile returned. “I’m alright. Happy you guys are here. It’s certainly strange to see my art up with so many people looking at it like this.” His voice was strained, despite the enjoyment Grantaire’s words conveyed. 

Combeferre decided that there was no point in waiting any longer and got straight to the point. Gently, he asked, “Grantaire. Where’s Enjolras? Half of the reason you planned this was to surprise him.”

Grantaire’s eyes flickered to the ground, his body language wilting slightly. Still, he kept up his facade and pushed on. “Oh, he was really swamped with work tonight. This case is really important, and he got some new material he needs for tomorrow. He sends his best though!” Grantaire’s hands had slid into his pockets, his weight shifting from foot to foot. He was clearly not happy with the situation. 

Eponine perked up at this, her eyes narrowing into angry slits. “Are you serious? That dick couldn’t stop working to go to his own boyfriend’s exhibition?” Her voice rose with outrage and she questioned Grantaire. 

The man in question grimaced, and reached out placitating hands towards Eponine’s shoulders. “His work is really important Ep! He can’t just skip out whenever he feels like it.” 

“You’re important too, Grantaire! He never has any time, and is constantly too busy to see any of us. It is not fair to you.”

Grantaire tightened his fingers around her shoulders and gave her a pleading look. “Eponine. It’s fine. He is doing serious work. I don’t need him to make this a good time. Let’s just enjoy the evening, alright?” He pulled her in for a brief kiss to the cheek, before slipping around her to speak with Jehan.

Eponine turned to Combeferre and Courfeyrac, a scowl still fixed upon her face. “I’m going to go over there and give Enjolras a piece of my mind. He does this all the fucking time. This entire exhibition is featuring paintings about him, and the bastard doesn’t even bother to show up!” 

Courfeyrac sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “Eponine, I understand that Enjolras can be a bit of a workaholic, but-”

“A BIT? Are you serious, he never STOPS working!” The two devolved into an argument, Eponine attacking Enjolras and Courfeyrac trying to find a middle ground protecting both of his friends.

Combeferre shifted in between the two and cleared his throat. With a tired voice he said, “Stop it, both of you. You’re making a scene. This night is supposed to be for Grantaire, and you’re not going to mess it up by arguing over Enjolras.”

Courf interjected, trying to defend himself, but Combeferre held up a hand to silence him. “I’ll go over to their apartment and see what Enjolras is doing, try to get him to come, alright?” He turned to look at the two with his brows raised.

Eponine still looked angry, but gave a sharp nod. Courfeyrac leaned in to press a kiss onto his cheek. “Be back soon, alright?” 

Combeferre inclined his head and started heading back towards the entrance of the exhibition. His headache grew the further he got from his friends. It would be a long night.


	3. A Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up finishing the story, so I will be posting sooner than expected. Last chapter comes tomorrow!

Enjolras suppresses a growl of frustration as the knocking continues. None of his friends would be coming over at this hour, and if he was really needed, they would have called his phone. Though, upon reflection, he remembered that he had left his phone in the other room to avoid distraction. With a curse, he jumped up and ran to the door, swinging it open to reveal a very angry looking Combeferre.

“What’s wrong?” Enjolras asked as Combeferre stormed inside. His usually calm friend seemed tense with anger. “And what’s with the suit?”

Combeferre ignored him, asking instead, “Why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been outside for ten minutes, and I know you heard me, the walls are amazingly thin in this building.”

Enjolras frowned, observing the unhappy curl of his friend’s lips. “I left it in the other room, I didn’t want any distractions from work.”

Combeferre sighed, the frustration he had seemingly been carying within him draining out. 

“Seriously, Combeferre, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Enjolras felt worry churning in his gut. He knew that Combeferre wouldn’t have bursted in as he did without a good reason to. 

Combeferre sighed, and made his way to the couch, heavily sinking into it. “Don’t worry, everyone is fine.” 

Enjolras felt the fear that had been building up inside loosen and release, and he took a seat next to Combeferre on the couch. “Good. That’s good.” An awkward silence filled the room as Combeferre stared sullenly at Enjolras, and Enjolras gave looks of confusion in return. When it became clear that Combeferre would not speak first, Enjolras took initiative. “So. Why did you come? If you’re just here to hang out that’s fine, but I have some really important work to be doing, so-”

“Enjolras. When’s the last time you spent time off with Grantaire?” 

The question shocked Enjorlas; it was far from the answer he had been expecting. He stumbled for a moment, before answering, “Last Thursday. At the Musain? You were there too, why-”

“No, Enjolras, I mean just the two on you. Like a date.”

Taken aback yet again as Combeferre interrupted him. He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short as he realized he couldn't think of when he had last spent any considerable amount of time with his boyfriend. His lips downturned as he closed his mouth, looking guiltily up at Combeferre. His silence was answer enough.

Combeferre shook his head slightly as the sight, before beginning to speak. “Grantaire has spent the last month or so planning an exhibition. Found a really nice space, got some food and drinks, some sponsors, and other artists to share the space with. A really formal event.” Combeferre sounded oddly disappointed, which was strange considering it should be something quite exciting. Enjolras stayed silent though, and let his friend continue. “He made sure all of our schedules were free, and sent out the information a couple weeks back. All except for one person. He assured us that he had found one of the only free days in this person’s schedule, and wanted it to be a surprise.” Combeferre raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Enjolras felt his stomach begin to grow dark and heavy as the pieces clicked together. The suit, the night off, Grantaire’s questions earlier. 

He let out a soft, “Oh.” 

Combeferre gave a small smile, and said “Yes. Oh.” With a heavy breath he leaned forwards off the couch. “Enjolras. Why were you working tonight?”

Replies popped up in his head, yet he knew as he considered each one, that they were not good enough reasons. Quietly, he responded with, “I don’t know. I thought it was important.” Looking back to the excuses he had given Grantaire, the pit in his stomach only grew. 

“More important than Grantaire?”

“No! Of course not, why would you say that?”

“You said it yourself Enjolras. Or, rather, you didn’t say. You couldn’t even remember the last time you spent actual time with your boyfriend. That sounds to me like you don’t think he’s important.”

Enjolras grunted in frustration and stood from the couch. “I do care about him, I fucking love him! You know that Combefere! It’s just that work gets so busy, and…” He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. 

Combeferre stood, placing a hand on Enjolras’ shoulder. “We know you care, Enjolras. But how will Grantaire know if you always choose work over him? Sometimes, there are things more important than the cause. And those things cannot go ignored, or we will lose them.”

Enjolras looked at his shoes, his thoughts swirling with regret over his actions as of late. He knew he had to do something to fix this, this wasn’t what he intended at all, he just didn't think. “When does the exhibition start?” The least he could do would be to show up and support his boyfriend. From there, he could work to do more.

Combeferre gave a small smile as if he knew of Enjolras’ mental promise. “It started an hour ago. Everyone is already there, but there’s still plenty of time to go and support Grantaire. Now go and get dressed, and we can get going, alright?”

“Thank you.” Enjolras pulled Combeferre into a tight hug, before releasing him to run to the bedroom. Luckily, as Grantaire had promised, his suit was laid out on the bed, ready for him to pull it on and go. He dashed to the bathroom to throw on some deodorant and cologne, and attempted to style his hair. Finally, looking as presentable as he could in the brief time he spent getting ready, he went back to the main room of the apartment where Combeferre was waiting. 

“Let’s go,” Enjolras said, grabbing a jacket and heading out the door. He had to fix this.


	4. A Reunion

Enjolras pushed upon the door to the exhibition and immediately began scanning for his boyfriend’s mop of curls. Combeferre gently directs them over to Grantaire’s section of the room, where their friends are clustered around in small groups. A few of them spot him and wave, calling out his name in greeting cheerfully. Enjolras ignores them for now, still looking for-

“Enjolras? I thought you were busy? And wait, how did you even get here?” Grantaire appears by his side, confusion painted itself upon his face. Combeferre must have slipped away while Enjolras was searching. 

“Combeferre told me. Listen Grantaire-”

Grantaire cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re here. Come on, my stuff is over this way.” Grantaire interlaces their fingers and tugs Enjolras behind him. 

Enjolras weakly protests, knowing he needs to actually talk to Grantaire, yet his boyfriend just weaves them through the crowd over to a section of paintings filled with colorful portraits, each abstract enough to obscure the identity of the subject. Grantaire slowed them to a stop in front of the largest painting. It was filled with red and gold, the subject centered and facing outwards. The red ripped around the edges of the painting, rising and falling in jagged peaks, the result of violent brush strokes and a thick brush. Yet the center was a swath of creamy white and gold, its softness a harsh contrast to the burning reds that surrounded it. The piece was harmony and chaos, all confined in a square canvas.

“Grantaire… this is beautiful.” Enjolras was near speechless as he admired the painting.

Grantaire shuffled his feet in the corner of Enjolras’ view, and he turned to look at him. Grantaire’s face was lightly flushed, and he seemed nervous. “I made them for you, you know. All of them. They’re you.”

Enjolras whipped around and examined the other paintings. Whether they were bursting with passion and nearly exploding off of the walls, or more subdued and shimmering under the bright lights, he realized they were of him, through Grantaire’s eyes. A wave of guilt washed over his astonishment as he remembered his actions earlier in the evening- and over the past months as well. 

“Grantaire. This is- it’s they’re all stunning. Thank you”

Grantaire’s lips twisted into a gentle grin. “Enjolras, where is your famed eloquence? Surely this must not be you, if you’re stumbling over words.”

Enjolras puffed out a breath and turned to face Grantaire fully. “Truly, Grantaire they are amazing. But aren’t you frustrated that I refused to even show up?”

“Well, I didn’t really tell you why I wanted you to come. And I know you were doing important things for work.”

Enjolras sighed and grasped Grantaire by the arms. “Grantaire, you matter more than work. And I know I haven’t been showing you that, but you have to know that you do. You are the most important thing I have in my life.”

Grantaire gave an easy grin, and reached up to place a hand gently upon Enjolras’ face. “I know, Enjolras.” His eyes lost a bit of their sparkle as he said, “You just don’t remember to show it, all the time.”

Enjolras was angry on Grantaire’s behalf, and pulled back from Grantaire’s grip. “Grantaire! You deserve better than that, better than someone who can’t even stop working to spend time with you!”

Grantaire frowned. “Enjolras. None of us are without faults. Believe you me, you drive me insane half of the time! And you do forget to make time for me, and you do fuck up! But I make mistakes too. I’ll admit, I was pretty pissed at you earlier tonight, and disappointed too.” Enjolras dropped his head, avoiding Grantaire’s intense gaze. “But I knew that as soon as you knew why I wanted to pull you away from work you would’ve gone in a heartbeat, and that you would have felt bad. I know you Enjolras, and I know you care.”

Enjolras swallowed thickly, his chest tight with emotion. He cautiously looked back up at Grantaire. “I’ll do better. I promise you, Grantaire.” 

Grantaire pulled him by the shoulder into a tight hug, and whispered, “I know.”

Leaning back just enough to create space between the two of them, Enjolras gently kissed Grantaire. Resting his forehead against Grantaire’s, he said quietly into the air between them, “I love you.”

Grantaire smiled. “I know.” With a deep breath, Grantaire turned back towards the painting. “Now that that’s over with- We’re here to look at art, not to ogle each other all night. There’s time for that later. Come on! I want to show you the rest.” Grantaire grabbed Enjolras’ hand again and tugged him to another part of the room. 

Enjolras followed along from painting to painting, a dumb smile most definitely sat upon his face. His heart swelled as he listened to Grantaire explain his work, and was struck by just how much he loved him. His work, the cause, all of it were extremely important to him, but loving Grantaire was as essential as breathing. He knew he wasn’t perfect, that they would fight again in the future. Enjolras also knew that all of the problems they shared paled in comparison to the love he held for Grantaire. And that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was it guys! The end! Hopefully it was all you hoped for. 
> 
> Thanks for reaching this point, it means a lot to me
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback or any thoughts!


End file.
